Popular musician arrested on stage

POPULAR musician Nicholas Chase Skuza was arrested while performing on stage and sentenced to 231 days in prison for failing to pay $2 900 to a South-Africa based truck driver he defrauded in 2015.

Ms Adelaide Mbeure ordered Skuza (50) to serve the alternative imprisonment term saying the time was overdue and he failed to approach the court seeking an extension of time to pay.

Skuza, who had been arraigned for default inquiry, pleaded with the magistrate not to send him to prison saying he had been sick and would pay back the money.

"I have brought $100 today. I have been very sick and my child passed away that is why I was not able to pay. I just started working and I was arrested on stage while I was performing," he said.

In 2015, Bulawayo magistrate Marylin Mutshina sentenced him to 24 months in jail. Eight months were suspended for five years on condition that he did not within that period commit a similar crime. Another eight months were suspended on condition that the musician restituted $2 900 to Kenneth Chihota.

The remaining eight months were suspended on condition that he performs 280 hours of community service.

Prosecuting, Mr Maclean Ndlovu said in 2015, one Gift Makoronga placed an advertisement in The Chronicle selling a house in Cowdray Park.

He said Chihota responded to the advert and indicated that he was willing to view the property. Chihota was not satisfied with the price and opted for a residential stand.

Makoronga then linked Chihota with Skuza who was selling a residential stand in Cowdray Park for $4 000.

"The two men agreed that Chihota would pay $3 000 with the remaining $1 000 going to the Bulawayo City Council. On January 7, Chihota paid Skuza $2 900 for the stand and an agreement of sale was drafted and signed by the two parties," Mr Ndlovu said.

"Sometime in May, Chihota discovered that a structure had been built on his stand and he then tried to contact Skuza over the issue but he was elusive. He reported him to the police."